Retribution: Reprisal
by Psycho-Neurotically Disturbed
Summary: He’d promised Stark he would protect Lilinette. He would keep his word, even now. Sequel to Retribution.
1. Chapter 1

Retribution: Reprisal

Part 1

By

PND

I do not own Bleach.

AN: This is the sequel to **_Retribution, _**so read that if you haven't, otherwise things may not make sense. This takes place a few months after the ending. For a quick summary, since the manga isn't out to the end of the war yet, the shinigami came out the winners, however Aizen still escaped (Big surprise). The espada and arrancar that were not killed have been taken prisoner (which would never actually happen) and that's about anything important that you need to know. Read on.

* * *

"That guy's waiting outside again."

Lilinette lifted her head from her desk and Miyami spoke to a group of girls during their mid-day break.

"I see him waiting out there all of the time right before lunch," Kitako, a cute brunette, murmured. "It's kind of creepy. He's probably a perv or something."

"Don't say that," another girl spoke, looking a bit wistful. "Look at how attractive he is. No way could a guy like that be some kind of lecher. He's not even that old."

"Whatever," Kitako frowned. "I've never seen him show up this early. I wonder if something's wrong…"

"Don't be stupid, Ki-chan," Miyami turned away from the window. "Lili, you've been quiet, don't you—" She paused, noticing the girl's now-empty desk.

"She left." Kitako looked away from the window. "She'll probably be back soon."

* * *

"Why are you here?" Lilinette murmured as she buried her face into his chest, shivering with cold, despite the arms he wrapped around her. The winter chill hadn't quite left yet and the air was still bitter.

"We need to go see Urahara," Yumichika slid off his jacket placed it around her shoulders. "We won't be coming back."

"All right," Lilinette knew better than to argue. If Yumichika told her to do something, it was probably a good idea to listen to him. "Did something happen?"

"They're near by. I don't want them to find you," Yumichika smiled lightly. "We're just going to have to make sure they'll never find you."

"Thank you," Lilinette murmured, letting go of him to allow him freedom of motion. She didn't mind leaving, even though she'd finally gotten into the routine of human school life and through the hardships of making friends. She'd do anything for him. He was her everything now.

If he wanted to leave, so be it.

She hadn't actually seen him for almost a month now. They didn't live together because Urahara had told them they would be less noticeable if they were apart. She was happy that he dropped by her school. She always felt his spiritual pressure, even when he was trying to hide it.

She loved him for being so concerned.

But it might just be because she was all he had, too.

Urahara Kisuke was the only one truly willing to help them, even if only because he was in a similar posistion.

Lilinette paused in thought. There was nothing similar. Urahara was banished. She and Yumichika were on the run. If they were caught they would be most likely put to death, according to both Urahara and Yoruichi.

Neither of them were very surprised.

They didn't live in Karakura. Yoruichi suggested they move to a large city with the most confusing spiritual pressure they could find and try to blend in with the people there.

Yumichika found the busiest city possible and with some crafty help from Urahara enrolled Lilinette in school and strayed away from her, letting her figure out life on her own.

She'd never seen the living world. It was terrifying and she was alone.

She had no idea what Yumichika did in his time away from her, but he'd visit on occasion, enquire about how she was doing, and then disappear just as quickly with simple instructions not to leave her gigai or do anything reckless.

She knew he was worried about what was happening, but she would continue on for him. She would do absolutely everything in her power not to jeopardize their situation, even if it meant not seeing him for a while. She cared that much for his safety. If he were safe, she'd wait as long as she needed before seeing him again.

"What's wrong?" Yumichika's soft voice brought her out of her thoughts. They'd stopped walking and he was looking at her with a very peculiar look on his face.

"Nothing," Lilinette adjusted his jacket around her slender body.

"You're crying," His voice was very firm and tender and for a moment Stark's face flashed across her mind. The next thing she knew she was trying hard not to hiccup his chest because it was bad enough her tears were going to ruin his shirt. She didn't want him to be angry, even if she knew he wouldn't be.

She never wanted to cry around him. Not when he tried to be so strong for her.

"I miss him so much," Lilinette gasped, knowing Yumichika new exactly who she was talking about. "It hurts because you remind me of him."

"Lilinette," Yumichika wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't apologize for that. It wasn't something he could change. "I love you, please remember that. Stop crying and regain your appearance. We don't need any extra attention."

She knew he wasn't trying to be mean. He was just doing what needed to be done. She'd dry her eyes for him, but that wouldn't make the pain go away. She knew it would take time.

Yumichika wasn't sure what Lilinette was expecting of him. He couldn't be Stark. They both knew that. He knew what had happened was a shame and Lilinette tried to place the blame on herself, but it wasn't her fault. Seeing Stark fall had been heart rendering but he'd sacrificed himself so that they could escape. The final garganta he'd created to pull them away from the battle had been too much of a distraction for the espada. Ikkaku had taken the chance and there was little to be done for it now.

He found little room for forgiveness in his heart for the shinigami. The moment the captain commander demanded their immediate capture, Yumichika knew there was nothing he could do. With Yamamoto acting as the central 46, their death would be imminent. The shinigami would obey his commands, and those who wouldn't weren't even there.

There was fleeting hope that Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake would do something to help. They both looked unhappy about the situation and Ukitake had even called out to the captain commander, but one hard look from the old man had silenced him.

Ikkaku…Yumichika didn't want to think about him. It was upsetting and disappointing…if anyone—

It didn't matter, Yumichika decided, telling himself to try to enjoy his walk with Lilinette.

He'd promised Stark he would protect Lilinette. He would keep his word, even now.

* * *

He fisted his hands in his robes for what seemed like the hundredth time. They'd been discussing this on and off for weeks now. What to do about the Aizen situation. How to keep their winning position from weakening. How to make sure the remaining arrancar knew what was in store for them. It was all nonsense. Ukitake knew that all this talk was just a front. Very little output from the top shinigami would be taken into thought by Yamamoto. He did was he wanted and there was little to be done about it.

"There is one final matter." Yamamoto's grave tone had Ukitake looking at the captain commander in concern. That wasn't a good voice he was using. "The entrapment we are holding the remaining espada and arrancar in isn't going to last forever. We need to decide how to take care of them. They will run back to Aizen's side the first chance they get. We can no allow that to happen. They need to be removed."

"What do you mean, Old Man?" Shunsui was kind enough to ask what was on everyone's mind, despite the fact everyone knew what he meant. "Are we taking them somewhere?" His attempt at humor was meant to be light-hearted, but it fell short at the seriousness of the topic.

"We will be putting them to death. They are nothing but scientific experimentations made by Aizen."

"Master!" Ukitake turned furiously towards his mentor. "We can't kill them. It isn't right. They aren't any different from us. They have thoughts and emotions. It would be a massacre if you did this. I will not—"

"Ukitake, your words are turning traitorous. I do not want to hear any more of this from you."

Jyuushirou's eyes widened. He hadn't done anything wrong. Shunsui was gazing at him with an almost sympathetic expression. For some reason, Ukitake found this irritating, like he was a child who had just gotten an answer wrong in front of the entire class. Did no one else think the same as him? Did no one else care who else died for no reason?

He then did something had had never done before in all of his years as a captain. He turned and left the meeting before it was finished.

* * *

END Part 1

AN: I know, it's a bit short, but I mainly wanted to get this idea out. Woot, hope you slightly enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

Retribution: Reprisal

Part 2

By

PND

* * *

There had always been something unnatural about the way Lilinette moved in her gigai. To the human eye, she was completely normal, but to someone who had seen her soul form, it was almost awkward to see her bound around without her usual shower of chartreuse hair and vivid pink eyes. The dark hair and eyes she now sported made her seem like something was missing.

Yumichika couldn't wait to get to Urahara's, just so he could see her again.

"Lilinette, slow down. I don't want you tiring yourself out." God, he sounded like her mother, but the flippant smile she threw him was worth it.

"Aww, Shinigami-san," she teased, turning around to look at him. "Like you don't feel like running, too."

"I don't," Yumichika frowned. It was true, he didn't feel like running. Not for fun anyway. He hadn't explained the whole situation to Lilinette. Like the fact he had actually caught sight of a shinigami a few nights before and that was what sparked his interest in leaving. He had been lucky it was an amateur that didn't know what he was looking for, had it been someone with experience and knowledge of what his reiatsu felt like, their capture would have been impending.

Telling her that the shinigami were getting close was much easier than watching her worry. If they were close it meant they weren't there yet and that's all that mattered to Lilinette.

Yumichika let out a quiet sigh, far happier than he should be in this situation. Lilinette was doing her best at keeping her reiatsu at a minimum and he hadn't felt any other obvious reiatsu spikes for several hours. They were safe for now and growing much closer to Urahara's shop.

Yumichika could only hope they'd be safe.

* * *

Shuuhei crouched on the rooftop, carefully looking out over Karakura. It was no surprise he was here. He'd volunteered his division to keep watch and it was part of his duty to check on his subordinates. One had reported in a strong reiatsu a few days ago that they had been keeping an eye on, but it suddenly just disappeared. He didn't mind keeping a close watch on his lower officers.

However, he was worried about this reiatsu. Has it been just a fluke or could it possibly have been Yumichika? Deep down he didn't want it to be Yumichika. In his mind, Yumichika was not an enemy. He did not defect. He'd been taken and hopefully hadn't been brainwashed into thinking like they did. However, from the looks of it, he had.

That was a shame. Yumichika had always been a good shinigami. Maybe not his favorite person in the world, but they'd never been enemies. Even now, knowing Yumichika was harboring an arrancar and might possibly be residing in Hueco Mundo, he wasn't an enemy.

Hopefully this whole thing would blow over soon.

He really didn't need any more headaches.

* * *

_The shimmering of blades clashing against each other was almost distracting. The two bodies doing a fight dance in the sky with the weapons were giving their all. _

_Or, at least one of them was._

_Ikkaku couldn't understand why his opponent wasn't trying, only reacting enough to deflect a swing._

_"What's wrong with you? Do you want to die?" _

_He didn't expect the answer._

_"Yes."_

Ikkaku's eyes flew open.

That dream again...it had been haunting him for a while now. He knew it wasn't just a dream though. It really had happened.

He poured some water into the basin by his bed and splashed his face. It was still early, but he wouldn't be able to sleep again. He knew if he did, he'd just see that look in Yumichika's eyes.

All he could see was love in them...for someone else. It was that Espada. Ikkaku knew it, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Yumichika hadn't loved him in a very long time, but that didn't mean he never would again.

Ikkaku slid his sheath through his obi and gave a quiet sigh, heading outside.

He'd try to see what Yumichika could see. He just couldn't understand what that Espada could give him that was better that what he had.

He loved him.

Did the Espada?

* * *

Yumichika didn't exactly want to trust Urahara, but the truth was that the man was all he really had. There wasn't anyone else he could go to for help with getting jeopardized. He wouldn't have gone at all if he hadn't been worried for Lilinette.

"Yumichika, Lilinette," Urahara said with a slightly forced smile, leading them into a large room at the back of the shop. "There's someone here who wants to help you."

Yumichika could feel Lilinette's panic and placed a calming hand on her back, guiding her into the room with ease. There was a man dressed in a plain suit staring at a painting on the wall. Yumichika stopped immediately, certain of who had come to see them.

"This is a lovely painting, Kisuke," the man turned his brown eyes towards the trio who had just entered the room and a smile lit up his face. "Hello, it's nice to see you again, Yumichika."

"Absolutely not."

"What?" Ukitake's face fell, leaving a slightly confused look straining his features.

"I will not accept his help." Yumichika took Lilinette's arm. "We're leaving."

"Don't go," Urahara gave a slight pout.

"I genuinely want to help you," Ukitake said, crossing the room. His close presence set something off inside Yumichika. It wasn't danger, but it wasn't peace either.

"Why?"

"I don't like what's happening to you. It's unfair and completely shortsighted."

"Ukitake-taichou, I can't trust you."

"I wanted to tell you about what Yamamoto-soutaichou is planning."

"What?" Kisuke leaned forward with interest. "You didn't mention this to me."

"It's not important to you," Ukitake said calmly, looking down at Lilinette. "The captain commander plans on killing the arrancar we have captured. All of them."

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Yumichika asked, wondering exactly why he was being told this.

"For shinigami, yes, but I don't think you or your friend would appreciate it. Several of the captains are having second thoughts regarding it, too. I refuse to participate in such a massacre."

"It doesn't really matter to me…" Yumichika glanced down at Lilinette, but she was expressionless.

"You were friends with that one, weren't you?" Ukitake narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "The strong one with the dark hair?"

"What about him?" Lilinette's bright eyes studied the captain's face with intensity.

"Wouldn't you want to save his life?"

* * *

End Part 2

Ah, it's been so long since I've been able to update anything! Sorry it's so short, but at least its something!


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